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Photo Essay

Christmas Lights Shine Bright on Temple Square during the Salt Lake Temple Renovation

The lights on Temple Square turned on the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday

Thousands of LED lights spread out over Temple Square and the immediate area were turned on Friday, November 26, 2021. Hundreds of people of all ages who waited in great anticipation for the magical moment were not disappointed.

  

The lights on Temple Square turned on the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and will remain on through January 1, 2022.

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A family views crèches representing various countries of the world, which are displayed near the Family Search Library on Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 27, 2021.

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This Christmas season, see an animated nativity projected on the ceiling of the Salt Lake Tabernacle for the first time. This new presentation, entitled “Peace on Earth,” uses shadow graphics, narration and musical underscore to tell the Christmas story in a child-friendly way that adults will also enjoy. Showings begin Friday, November 26 and will continue daily every 15 minutes from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. mountain standard time. The presentation lasts about four minutes, and the showings will alternate between Spanish and English. 

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The annual lighting of Temple Square has been a tradition for many families and individuals since the 1960s, when then Church President David O. McKay began the ceremony.

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A beautifully decorated Christmas tree stands in the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The Legacy Theater will be open with special Christmas-themed showings 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm through January 1, 2022.

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Families donate at the giving machines at the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 27, 2021.

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Children get the best view from on top of their fathers' shoulders of the beautiful Christmas lights on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 27, 2021.

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The Church History Museum is decorated in charming lights and snowflakes on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 27, 2021.

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Crèches representing various countries of the world are displayed in front of the Assembly Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah, November 26, 2021.

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